One Year and What We Have Learned

June 16, 2013
We are almost at the one year mark of our mission. We have had some amazing experiences, seen wonderful sights and grown closer to our Heavenly father as we have relied on him to see us through. He seems to always be in charge and we are truly blessed. He prompted us to sell our family home and brought us a buyer within 6 weeks, guided us to a wonderful builder for a retirement home and sent us to Samoa to an island that needed us. We have grown so close to the people in our little village of Vaiola. Samoa is beautiful, but it is the people that make Samoa! They are loving, caring and so respectful! When we leave Samoa it will be the people that we will miss. I think the theme of our blog today is that we marvel at the blessings the Lord  gives us daily and how he loves us and cares for each of us. He knows us, what we need to learn and where we need to be.

Sister Taleni and Sister Obley

Sister Obley (Jeany) translates church meetings for us! She is the Assistant Principal and a very dear friend. Sister Taleni  (Lise) is the Accounting teacher and the Principal's wife. She is always planning fun activities and games for everyone!

Our English teachers. They are sisters and their names are Lima and Luisa.

Sister Tuamaseve- Religion Teacher

We have watched as the Lord has prepared new teachers for us to teach. I will explain a little background knowledge. At the end of the 2012 school year, last November, we found out that 5 of our strongest teachers requested to be moved to the larger school on the other island of Upolo. It is a larger school of over 1,000 students and is close to Apia where there are more stores and NUS ( National University of Samoa). We were all devastated and sad to lose these families from our village.
 Everyone in the village comes out every evening when it is cooler and plays games together. Everyone becomes Aiga (family).

Vaiola Village playing games in the evening. 

We all wondered how we were going to find qualified teachers to teach in our Vaiola College.
(In Samoa, College is High School and University is what we call College.)  The Lord had been preparing people to replace the teachers that left.  One previously was a Reverend of another faith that listened to the missionaries and joined the church. He is our new Biology teacher and is such a wonderful man. His whole family moved into a house behind us. He attends all of our classes and has such a loving, humble spirit. We also got a young family that moved in next door. Her husband was not a member and he listened to the missionary lessons and they are blossoming under the love of the village. We also got another young family who met each other at BYUH. He teaches our Geography and Social Science courses and she teaches Math and Physics. They both ran out of money before they got their degrees finished so they take every course we offer. We also got another teacher that didn't finish her degree in Economics but will now be able to get her degree because of the classes we are teaching. When Vailoa College felt devastated with loss, the Lord provided wonderful, faithful teachers to replace the ones we lost. I know that we are here for a reason. We help these new teachers daily that have never taught a day in their life. They are like sponges and try everything we suggest. It is amazing to watch them improve as teachers and start to affect lives!!

Akuso and his daughter. He is a Rugby coach, teacher and dorm dad. 

In Savaii, the government schools are still at least 50-60 years behind in standards and skills. Every year in December,Vaiola College offers an entrance test and over 250 students from all over the island take the test trying to get in. This year we had 52 openings, as the school has only enough room and teachers to take so many students. Everyone wants their student to go to Vaiola. We have room for 40 boys and 40 girls from the other side of the island that stay in the dorms and the rest of the students ride a bus starting at 5:40 A.M. to get here by 7:45. The students want to be here and know that they are getting the best education possible.
We know that education is their only chance from a life of just plantation work. ( survival)

Niupuluso Kids- Semima ( 1st Gr), Ana  (4th Gr.) and Iesofa (5th Gr.) coming over to do homework.



The village lost Ruta Niupulusu,  a 38 year old mother of 7. She died in her sleep of a heart attack. They live next to us and it is so heart breaking to see them miss their Mom. The 3 youngest have started coming over to the house every night for homework help, signing reading slips etc and some tender Grandma Budgett love. I am getting really attached to them and hopefully helping them through this difficult time. Paogo, their Dad, is the Computer teacher and I see him struggle to be both Mom and Dad. The village has been wonderful and I see young teenager neighbors carrying laundry to the communal washers, preparing coconuts and taro for the family, etc. The Samoans are very service oriented. Every time we come home with groceries or from a trip to Apia, they are there to help us unload. We love the village members and will miss them dearly. It is very rewarding to be in a place where you are appreciated and loved.

Village kids washing and cleaning out our car!

Josie and her son Clayton. Josie is our school secretary. 

Vai- School Secretary.  

                                                                                                               
A little side note about Vai. She was in the movie Johnny Lingo as a teenager and she also was in the Elvis Presley movie made in Hawaii. She traveled Europe with Elvis Presley when he was promoting his Hawaiian Movie. ( I know, some of you are not old enough to know about Elvis Presley movies and Johnny Lingo)

Pearl- The mission President's Daughter. 

Cornelia- she was born on the same day as Selena ( my granddaughter)

The hardest thing about being gone on a mission is missing special days like birthdays and baptisms, holiday dinners and sport events of the grand kids but the Lord has again been in charge and blessed our families. We feel truly blessed, led and protected by Lord and guided daily in what we say and do. I sometimes wonder what it will be like when we come home. We left eight days after retirement from education and jumped right back into teaching and working with students and teachers. Will we be needed, feel as fulfilled and guided as we are now? I think it will be a transition, as we really haven't experienced retirement yet.

Young Missionaries. The one in the middle is from California and the
one on the right is from Hawaii and the one on the left is from Samoa. 

Can you see the joy and love of life in the faces of Samoa? They radiate love and happiness! They know what is important and how to live a gospel centered life.

We love and miss everyone so much!!  Have a wonderful week and look for the tender mercies given to you each day!! Our Heavenly father loves each of you!

Elder and Sister Budgett     Jim and Cherri    Grandma and Grandpa       Uncle James and Aunt Cherri